This application is based on application No. Hei 11-364351 field in Japan, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a portable apparatus, i.e. a camera, a portable telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. Particularly, the present invention relates to a portable apparatus in which the operability of a pair of operation buttons for setting mutually contradictory functions (opposite functions) has been improved.
Portable apparatuses such as cameras, portable telephones and computers have been reduced in size and weight to improve portability. To miniaturize portable apparatuses, it is necessary to miniaturize parts and members used therefor as well as to miniaturize the body. While parts and members for portable apparatuses have been not only miniaturized but also technically examined and variously improved, miniaturized operation buttons tend to be difficult to operate.
Portable apparatuses have various operation buttons for performing various functions. For substantially box-shaped portable apparatuses, there are cases (1) where all the operation buttons are disposed on one surface and (2) where mainly associated operation buttons are disposed on one surface and operation buttons not closely associated are disposed on other surfaces. In the former case, miniaturization of portable apparatuses decreases the areas occupied by the operation buttons, so that the operability of the buttons deteriorates. In the latter case, the operability of the operation buttons deteriorates although the deterioration is not as much as that in the former case. In either case, the deterioration of the operability due to miniaturization is pronounced for a pair of operation buttons for setting mutually contradictory functions (for example, operation buttons for performing various settings such as a function of moving an operation portion back and forth and rotating the operation portion left and right, a function of turning the volume up and down, a function of increasing and decreasing the illumination of the displayed part and a function of scrolling the displayed part back and forth and left and right).
For example, in the case of a camera, buttons such as zoom buttons for driving the zoom mechanism to the telephoto side and the wide-angle side or exposure correction buttons for correcting exposure to the (+) side and the (xe2x88x92) side are provided as the operation buttons. Such a pair of operation buttons for setting mutually contradictory functions include a type in which the operation buttons are disposed on one surface so as to be adjacent to each other and the setting is changed by operating one of the buttons. There is also a type having rotary switches or cross-shaped keys instead of operation buttons. In any case, when these are reduced in size, the operation section is too small for the sizes of the user""s fingers, so that it is difficult to quickly perform the above-mentioned setting changing operation and the operability is inferior. Particularly, when a pair of operation buttons of which functions are mutually contradictory are disposed on one operation surface so as to be adjacent to each other, it is highly likely that the user misoperates the buttons, and when this happens, the operation diametrically opposite to the operation that the user intends to perform is performed.
As described above, for conventional portable apparatuses, attention tends to be paid only to size reduction and sufficient consideration is not given to the operability of the operation buttons.
An object of the present invention is to improve the operability of setting means in a portable apparatus having setting means such as a pair of operation buttons for setting mutually contradictory functions.
To solve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, a portable apparatus of the following structure is provided:
In a portable apparatus having setting means for setting mutually contradictory functions, the setting means comprises a pair of operation buttons, and the operation buttons are disposed on opposing surfaces of the body of the portable apparatus, respectively.
According to this structure, since the user can set mutually contradictory functions by operating a pair of operation buttons disposed on opposing surfaces of the portable apparatus with two fingers while holding the body of the portable apparatus, operation errors are reduced. Moreover, since the setting operation can be grasped by a sensation on the tips of two fingers, the user can be sure that the operation has been performed without any errors.
By disposing one operation button on a surface and the other operation button on the opposed surface, the area occupied by one operation button can be larger than in a case where a pair of operation buttons are disposed on one surface, so that the operability improves.
It is desirable that the operation buttons be disposed in positions corresponding to the thumb and the forefinger or the middle finger when the portable apparatus is held.
According to this structure, the user can independently operate a pair of operation buttons disposed on opposing surfaces of the portable apparatus with the thumb and the forefinger or the middle finger of one hand while holding the body of the portable apparatus between the thumb and the forefinger of the hand. That is, the user can simultaneously perform the holding of the body of the portable apparatus and the operation of the buttons with one hand, and can perform another work with the other hand which is free.
Preferably, the portable apparatus is a camera having a zoom mechanism, and the pair of operation buttons are operated to drive the zoom mechanism to the telephoto side and the wide-angle side.
Preferably, the portable apparatus is a camera having an exposure correction mechanism, and the pair of operation buttons are operated to correct the exposure amount to the (+) side and the (xe2x88x92) side.
Preferably, the portable apparatus is a digital camera having image display means for displaying a shot image , and the pair of operation buttons are operated to increase and decrease the frame number of the shot image.
Preferably, the pair of operation buttons are disposed on the subject side surface and the user side surface of the camera, respectively.
According to this structure, the user can hold the camera and operate the pair of buttons in a natural position called the ordinary grip. Consequently, the user hardly becomes fatigued even if he or she holds the camera for a long time, and the possibility of camera shake occurring at the time of shooting is small.
Preferably, the pair of operation buttons are disposed on surfaces opposing in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of shooting light of the camera.
According to this structure, since the user""s hands do not intervene between the back surface of the camera and the user""s face, the user""s face can be close to the back surface of the camera, so that the user can also perform shooting while viewing through the finder. Moreover, it never happens that the user""s hand inadvertently obstructs members exposed at the front surface of the camera such as the lens section, the distance measurement section, the photometric measurement section and the flash. Since optical members occupying comparatively large areas such as the lens section, the finder and the flash are not provided on the surfaces opposing in directions perpendicular to the optical axis of shooting light of the camera, the operation buttons can be increased in size and the degree of freedom of disposition of the operation buttons increases.
Preferably, setting means switching means capable of reversing the setting of mutually contradictory functions is provided.
According to this structure, when the user cannot be familiar with the preset operation method of the setting means, the setting can be reversed by the setting means switching means so that the user can perform the operation easier.
Moreover, the present invention provides a portable apparatus of the following structure:
In a portable apparatus having setting means for setting mutually contradictory functions, the setting means comprises a pair of operation buttons and the operation buttons are disposed on different surfaces of the body of the portable apparatus, respectively.
According to this structure, since the user independently operates a pair of operation buttons for setting mutually contradictory functions with two fingers, operation errors are reduced. By disposing one operation button on a surface and the other operation button on the opposing surface, the area occupied by one operation button can be increased, so that the operability improves. In addition, the degree of freedom of disposition of the operation buttons is very high.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate specific embodiments of the invention.